From Iowa State Daily
By Aleigha Bailey
Following a heartbreaking series against Oklahoma, Iowa State now focuses its energy on getting set for a split series against Waldorf.
With sluggish starts throughout the first two series of the Cyclones’ season in the past, focusing on coming out quickly looks to be the fuel for the team during this series.
This series marks the first series in conference play for Iowa State. With this meeting, sparks are set to fly between a fiery rivalry. At this point in the season, the Cyclones sit in fifth place in the Midwest College Hockey (MCH) conference with four points. Iowa State’s record is 1-1-1-1 and includes a two-game losing streak.
On the opposing side, the Warriors sit second in the MCH with nine points. The record of the Warriors is 3-2 with a one-game losing streak.
Both teams come into this series with losing streaks; they both have something to prove. Over the last 13 years of competition between the two, history has proven that the victor of this series comes down to commitment.
During last season’s meeting against Waldorf, Iowa State was swept during the senior night series. With a game one final of 3-2 and a game two 7-4 final, the Cyclones have a redemption opportunity upon them.
The last time Iowa State won against Waldorf was in the 2023-24 season with a 2-1 final in game one of the series. After a victory, the Cyclones looked to complete the sweep, but the opportunity came up short as the second game was postponed and never rescheduled.
With the last meeting on the mind of Iowa State, the energy from the 2020-21 season sweep over Waldorf looks to fuel the team in this series. Not only did the Cyclones sweep the Warriors, but they also dominated with a game one 8-1 win and a game two 8-2 win.
As both teams prep for a series full of tension, the point leaders look to be the fuel for a victorious series.
The leading forward for Iowa State is John Kovarik with seven points, which consists of four goals and two assists. Kovarik also sits third in the conference-wide point leaders.
For the Warriors, forward sophomore Zak Molstad leads both his team and the conference with eight points. This consists of six goals and two assists.
Defensively, Gabe Myers leads Iowa State with four points, with one goal and three assists. Myers also sits in 17th place in conference-wide points leaders.
The Warrior’s defensive points leader is junior Gunner Vignaroli with two points, with one goal and one assist.
With the points leaders discussed, the last determining component is the last line of defense: the goalies. Iowa State’s leading goalie with three games played is William Pinney. With a 1-1-1 record, Pinney has an 88% save percentage.
The Warriors’ leading goalie is junior Vaughn Holbeche, who is undefeated in his three games played and holds a 95% save percentage.
One question remains: will slow starts continue to taunt Iowa State, or will this series be the start of a new version of the team? With a split series on the agenda, Waldorf will host game one at 7 p.m. Friday at the Mason City Ice Arena. Game two will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Ames Ice Arena in Ames, Iowa.
(Originally published at https://iowastatedaily.com/323211/sports/cyclones-prepare-for-first-conference-series-against-warriors/#)
